Social Media Icon Awards 2015: Individual YouTube Video

Typically, sponsors of the Emmy Awards receive little to no earned media attention prior to the awards show. Once the media coverage cycle begins, the Emmy conversation almost entirely centers on prediction, fashion and general celebrity news. The PMK*BNC team reunited Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, the dynamic duo from the hit show “Breaking Bad,” and paired them with Julia Louis-Dreyfus from “Veep” for a one-of-a-kind crossover. Through Humor and dialog written specifically to engage and excite loyal fans and with hidden references designed to evoke nostalgia for the beloved shows, the team allowed viewers to instantly connect emotionally with the content. For fans, the video was one giant inside joke that they couldn’t help but watch and share.

The video was hosted on the Television Academy’s YouTube channel the week before the awards. To maximize engagement, the team pitched the video to reporters, editors, blogger, fans and influencers at online, print and broadcast outlets. The video was also shared via Audi’s social media channels. Audi’s viral hit saw over 8 million views on YouTube with over 100,000 likes. The video was so successful is jumped into the print and online space with 186 stories and 205 million impressions with placements in Time, Mashable, Buzzfeed and USA Today.